Sweethearts and Sabotage
by snickerdoodle131515
Summary: Lily Evans has finally agreed to go on a date with James Potter. But when James plans the date on a night promised for maraudering, his friends have something to say about it.


Sweethearts and Sabotage

By snickerdoodle131515

Summary: Lily Evans has finally agreed to go on a date with James Potter. But when James plans the date on a night promised for maraudering, his friends have something to say about it.

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: All of the characters used in this story were created by J.K. Rowling

James Potter's eyes were fixed on the seconds hand of the ancient clock in the History of Magic classroom. His sweaty hands gripped the straps of his school bag, which was all ready packed up for the second the bell rang. Professor Binns droned on, not paying any attention to the boredom of his students, many of which were sleeping or drooling as they stared out the window, nor did he notice the unusual eagerness of James Potter.

Sirius and Remus sat on either side of James, and beside Remus was Peter, who was staring at his hands. Sirius tapped his quill impatiently on the table with such force that the tip of the quill snapped off. Sirius tossed the broken quill against the opposite wall and leaned back in his chair at ease, watching James with slight amusement. Remus was writing a few notes every now and then, but otherwise his mind seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

James's gaze left the clock for a brief second and settled upon the back of Lily Evan's fiery red head. James bit his lip and his heart raced. Sirius's smirk grew larger as James's eyes darted back to the clock. Three… two… one… the bell finally went off, and James leaped out of his seat as though he'd just realized he'd been sitting on a cat.

The relieved class rose and picked up their belongings, beginning to file out of the door, as the ancient ghost of Professor Binns floated through the chalkboard.

James stood with his friends as he watched Lily and her friends file out the door. Only the Marauders were left in the class now. James, once so eager, looked slightly deflated, as though his nerves had failed him.

Sirius gave James a small nudge. "Go on, mate."

James took a few steps forward, and stopped in the doorway, looking back at the trio. James mouth opened to say something, but Remus beat him to it. "Come on, James. You've done this a million times before."

"Yes, but I might actually have a chance this time," said James, looking slightly hopeful. James tried to reassure himself by thinking of how he hadn't picked on any students this year with the exception of Snape, how much better he behaved in class, and how he now had a Head Boy badge pinned to his chest. This badge was a sure sign that his Professors thought he had grown up, and he hoped the maybe Lily had noticed as well.

"Exactly," said Sirius. "You've got nothing to worry about, Prongs. You're different now. Lily sees that. I dare say she might even like you now. Now get." Sirius's index finger pointed out the door.

James smiled as a new confidence filled him, and he sprinted down the hallway, screeching to a halt as he neared the next turn. He poked his head around the corner and saw Lily and her friends gossiping as they headed for the lavatories for their hourly makeup inspection.

James took a deep breath and collected himself, running a hand through his hair. He marched toward the gaggle of girls, catching up to them with ease. He tapped Lily on the shoulder, and she swirled around with grace. James's heart skipped a beat when his eyes met her emerald green eyes. Lily smirked slightly. "Hello, James."

James gave a small relieved sigh. At least she didn't call him Potter anymore. And she was smiling. James noticed Lily's friends watching them anxiously, and he whispered to Lily, "Can I talk to you—alone?" he nodded toward Lily's friends.

"Oh yeah, sure," said Lily. She turned to her friends. "Go ahead, I'll catch up."

James and Lily both rolled their eyes when they heard Lily's friends burst into a fit of giggles as they walked away. James lead Lily further down the hallway out of earshot of anyone, and turned to face her.

"Lily, I…" James had this speech perfectly planned out, and had even practiced it with Sirius playing the part of Lily so that it would be perfect, while Remus and Peter rolled around laughing. The speech completely left him now that he was face to face with her. "I…"

"Yes?" said Lily patiently.

"I wanted to know if I could have the pleasure of taking you on date," James said as calmly as possible, trying to keep the panic he felt inside out of his voice. He leaned his back against the wall slightly to keep from falling over incase his knees gave out on him.

"I'd love to," said Lily, smiling sweetly. James couldn't believe his ears.

"What? Really?" said James, unable to hide his excitement.

Lily laughed. "Really, I'd like that. You're different now, James," Lily took James's hand in hers. "You really are."

"So you'd rather go out with me than the giant squid now?" asked James slyly.

"Yes," said Lily. "Things just didn't work out between us. You're my other option."

James laughed, and Lily joined in. "You really want to go out with me?"

"I actually had a while to think about it," said Lily.

"What? How'd you know I was going to ask you out? Who told you?" asked James, thinking hard of how she would have known beforehand.

"I heard you boys. I heard you and Sirius practicing. At first I was startled to hear you two professing your love, then I realized that Sirius was speaking in a higher register than usual and was batting his eyelashes and fanning himself. Then I heard you call him Lily and I figured it out."

James's face was red by now. "Right. Sorry you had to hear that."

"The pleasure was all mine," said Lily, laughing.

James tried to recover from this embarrassing moment. "So—how about Saturday night around seven?"

"It's a date," said Lily.

"Go fish," said Sirius lazily to Remus. Remus drew a card from the pile, frowning slightly. Peter watched the game with unusual amusement, enthralled by the Muggle game that Remus had taught them a few months ago. Remus had brought the cards from home, where he was fairly familiar with Muggle artifacts. They had been waiting in the common room for James to come back for about half an hour while the rest of the school was at lunch. Just as Sirius yawned widely, James came stumbling through the portrait whole.

The Marauders looked up expectantly. "Well?" the three cried together.

"She said yes!" James screamed, pumping his fist in the air. Sirius, Remus, and Peter leaped from their seats to congratulate him. Sirius gave James a huge bear hug.

"I knew it, mate!" he screamed into James's ear. Remus slapped James on the back before James pulled him into the hug as well, and Peter whooped happily, ruffling James's all ready windswept hair. Sirius pretended to cry, kissing James sloppily on the cheek. "This is the happiest day of my life!" Sirius said, doing a convincing imitation of James's voice.

James wiped his face, grimacing slightly, and punched his friend's arm. Sirius grabbed James in a headlock, rubbing James's scalp roughly with his knuckles, knocking his glasses askew. James kicked out to hit Sirius, but hit Remus instead. Remus doubled over in pain before joining the fight. Peter marveled at how his friends could go from hugging to fighting in a matter of two seconds. But he shrugged, and also joined the fray.

"So," Remus laughed, as they gave up and fell in a heap on the floor after several more moments of wrestling. "When is the date going to be?"

James was smiling from ear to ear, his nose bleeding and his glasses dangling from one ear. "This Saturday at seven."

Sirius, Remus, and Peter stood up quickly. James rose slowly, wondering what their problem was. "This Saturday?" said Sirius slowly.

"Yeah," said James, exasperated. "Is that a problem?"

Sirius's eyes bore into James. "Of course it's a problem, Prongs."

"Why?" asked James blankly.

Remus sighed. Sirius laughed grimly, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Think, James. Think really hard."

James thought. He thought hard. He thought so hard it looked like it hurt. All he could think of was his recent conversation with Lily. Finally it came to him. He groaned.

"That's right," said Sirius. "Saturday is the anniversary of us becoming the Marauders. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. It's the first day we all transformed into Animagi on the full moon. It's the day we signed the Marauder's Map."

"I'm sorry," said James bleakly. "I just got so excited that she said yes—I completely forgot. I promise I'll make it up to you guys. This is like—a once in a lifetime opportunity. And there's only a month of school. I won't have another chance—it's the last Hogsmeade day!"

"No, James," said Sirius, smirking. "We completely understand. You go have fun with your little redhead."

Lily entered the Great Hall for lunch, a small smile still on her face. Her last words _It's a Date _were still ringing in her ears along with the sound of James's laughter and his brilliant smile. Lily gave herself a small shake, collecting herself before she told the news to her friends. Then she could be all giddy and girly.

Lily marveled at how much James had changed. She was shocked and disgusted when she heard the news that James was Head Boy. She thought it must have been a horrible mistake or a very unfunny joke. But now she thought that James deserved it. The younger classes did look up to him. He was good-looking, popular, intelligent, and a fantastic Quidditch player. And now that his ego had shrunk he was truly the perfect role model, or in her case, boyfriend.

Lily had to admit to herself, if not to anyone else at the time, that she had always liked James somewhat, even though she had told him numerous times that he was an arrogant berk and he made her sick. There was always some hope in Lily that James would change. And finally, at seventeen, he had. And she dearly hoped it was genuine.

"Lily!" her friends squealed as she joined them at the table. "What happened with James?"

"Did he ask you out?" asked Alice.

"Did you kiss?" asked Florence.

Lily just smiled to herself, letting her friends guess. But when she heard Alice shriek if James had asked her to marry him, she decided to stop the madness.

"James asked me out," said Lily, and then she took a bite of her toast.

"And…" Lily enjoined watching her friend's impatient expressions as she chewed and swallowed as slow as possible.

Finally, after an unbearable wait for her friends, Lily spoke. "I said yes."

Lily's friends giggled and shrieked. The other House tables turned to stare at them. Lily rolled her eyes again.

"How do I look?" asked James, as he examined himself critically in front of the long mirror.

"Just spiffy," said Sirius bitterly.

"Come on, Padfoot. I have been waiting for this day since I first laid eyes on Lily—"

"I know, Prongs. But you really didn't have to plan on the date on Marauder's Night. You could have re-scheduled. Or possibly thought about previous plans first."

"I'm sorry, buddy. It just happened. I didn't plan for it to be tonight. But I'm supposed to meet her in an hour. There's nothing I can do now."

"Well, we'll miss you in our celebrations," said Remus, who was lying on his four-post bed.

"I swear I'll make it up to you guys. As soon as the date is over, we'll Marauder all night if you'd like!"

"Yeah, whatever, James." Said Sirius, kicking his trunk.

**End of chapter one. Pleasereview and tell me what you think!**


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